My Heart's a Battleground
by Ripuku
Summary: Naruto tries to make friends with Gaara. Gaara doesn't take it well and storms off. But how does he really feel toward the Kyuubi? Can Naruto open up the heart no one thought Gaara had?
1. Chapter 1

This a story I wrote on impulse. Yeah, a computer and good music will do that to ya. Anyway, without much else, here ya go.

999blee999 My Heart's a Battleground

Glare. Glare. Glare. that was all Gaara seemed to do. He didn't have much to say to anyone, unless he was about to kill them. But even then it was little more than growls and threats he was about to fulfill. Naruto had noticed this when he had first encountered the red-head. And his hair really was _red_. Not orange, red. It was oddly attractive. Something about him had caused Kyuubi to stir. Naruto thought back to the conversation he had had with the demon.

---

"There's something about him Kyuubi. I can't place it."

_Hmph. You're rather dense._

"That's not nice. But what is it? I feel a...connection."

_You two have more in common than you think. He is also the carrier of a demon. Another tortured soul, like you._

"You call yourself a torturer."

_I am a demon and am proud of it. But that's not my point. I can see past his hatred. He is just like you. No parents, feared and hated by all who meet him. But instead of trying to get everyone's attention like you did, he kept to himself, becoming more and more introverted with every passing day._

"You seem to know a lot."

_I'm a demon, I have powers, Kit. You need to help him. I sense unease in him and deep distrust._

"I'll try."

---

Then he remembered his conversations with Gaara.

"Who are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto! Aka the Nine Tailed Kyuubi!"

Gaara started as the Raccoon demon responded to his words.

"K-kyuubi?"

"That's right! We have a lot in common!"

"NO! WE DON'T!"

Naruto had been startled by Gaara's outburst. His normally goofy face was fearful and full of confusion. He stepped back. Gaara glared at him.

"You and I have NOTHING in common! NOTHING!" Then he had left, leaving Naruto confused.

---

Gaara punched the wall. He didn't know why the stupid Kyuubi had approached him like that. And then dared to say that they were the same?! They would never be the same. NEVER.

He punched the wall again, wincing as the skin on his knuckles split open. Why were these memories suddenly returning to him? He turned and sank down to the floor, his back pressed into the wall. Then he did something he hadn't done in years.

He cried.

He had finally found someone who cared, who wanted to help, and he had turned him away. He beat the floor, kicked a nearby table, and screamed in agony. Memories were flooding into his mind, many of them had something to do with Naruto. He stood, and flung a lamp at the door. It shattered into hundreds of glass shards. He tore the curtains down and ripped them to shreds. He smashed the table and tore the pillows open.

Kankuro and Temari had heard the smashing of Gaara's lamp and gone running up the stairs to see what the problem was. Kankuro flung the door open to find Gaara in a full fledged rage, screaming, breaking things and most shockingly, crying.

"Damn You Kyuubi! Damn you! Why did you have to steal my heart? Why? When I tried so hard to keep it locked away?"

Kankuro ran to him, to try to keep him from doing himself bodily harm. Before he could get there, Gaara had snatched a knife from the floor and plunged it into his arm. He drew it down his arm in a jagged line crying harder as the pain hit. Kankuro tackled him to the floor and snatched away the knife. Gaara threw him aside and dashed out of the door, throwing Temari aside as well.

"GAARA! GAARA! COME BACK!!"

Gaara ignored their shouts and began sprinting as fast as he could. He didn't know his way around the Hidden Leaf Village, but kept running. he finally collapsed in the woods near a river. He dug his nails into the roots of a tree and sobbed. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but he soon noticed there was someone standing behind him. He sat up and whirled around to find himself face to face with Naruto.

"What do you want?" he snarled, not bothering to wipe away his tears.

"You're crying." said Naruto softly.

"You're damn right I'm crying!" He pushed himself further under the tree and curled into a ball.

Naruto walked over and sat down. Gaara could hear the sound of ripping fabric and felt his arm being moved. He winced slightly as Naruto tightly bandaged it, but said nothing.

"Gaara-"

"Don't talk to me."

"No Gaara."

Gaara started and looked up into the Kyuubi's face. Naruto was looking right at him, a mixture of compassion and concern on his face.

"I will talk to you. I don't care if you don't listen, but I'm going to say it anyway. Gaara, I-I-I care about you. A lot."

Gaara stared, dumbstruck. Words failed him. He couldn't even move.

"I-I can't stop thinking about you. When I realized how similar we were, I felt like my life had a bit more meaning to it. I didn't want to give up anymore."

Gaara could feel tears welling up in his eyes again. He broke into sobs again.

"I-I like you t-too, N-naruto." he stammered between sobs.

Naruto pulled him into an embrace. He bent down slightly, and kissed Gaara's forehead. Gaara tilted his head up and kissed him gently on the lips. Naruto deeped it. When they broke apart, Gaara found comfort in his arms. And something he had never felt before.

Love.

He fell alseep that way and Naruto stroked his soft hair. At dawn, Temari and Kankuro came across them. The two sat in a tree not far from Naruto and Gaara. Naruto saw the them and closed one eye. He gave them a reassuring smile. Kankuro grinned right back and stood.

_Take care of our little brother. _he mouthed to Naruto.

Naruto saluted and nodded.

_I will. I promise._

999blee999

Well? Your comments?


	2. Chapter 2

Okies, I decided to add a second chapter, just for you guys. Squee, fear it.

999blee999

Nighttime is lonely. Especially when you can't sleep. It's even lonlier when you haven't slept in...well, your whole life.

These were Gaara's thoughts as he sat on Naruto's bed watching Naruto sleep. The blonde was snoring gently, his chest steadily rising up and down. His lips curled into a smile and he muttered something incoherent as he dreamed. It wasn't a nightmare, Gaara could tell that much, but was unable to tell anything further for Naruto rolled over and the muttering stopped. Gaara was saddened, he had never slept, so he had never gotten a chance to dream. Sitting back against a pillow, he recalled the day Naruto had explained to him what a dream was. It was a fond memory and he thought of it often, especially at night.

999blee999

"Uwaaah!" yawned Naruto, "Man, I had such a weird dream last night." Gaara looked confused.

"What's a dream?" Naruto stared at him in disbelief.

"What kind of a question is that? You mean you've never had a dream before?"

"I've never slept before, and I'm fairly certain you have to be able to sleep to dream. At least, that's how I figure it, seeing's how I watch you. You talk sometimes, it's funny."

"What?! I don't talk in my sleep!"

"Yes, you do. Last night you said something about drowning Sasuke in a bowl of Ramen."

"What a waste of Ramen."

The two laughed and Gaara asked again.

"So, what is a dream?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but a dream is like...hmm...it's like your mind takes everything you've ever done, said, seen, etc. and takes some of everything and mashes it up. Like I've dreamt before, that I'm in the desert fighting a rabid chicken."

"That...is completely ridiculous."

" I know! They don't always make sense. Sometimes you can control what happens and what you say and stuff. Sometimes it's really scary!" Naruto waved his arms around for emphasis. Gaara raised a nonexistant eyebrow and laughed at him.

999blee999

Gaara looked back at Naruto and sighed. He was tired of not being able to sleep like a normal person. He should have been used to it by now, but he wasn't. He knew there was no helping the raccoon-like bags around his eyes from the lack of sleep, but it would be nice to sleep once in his life without Shukaku doing horrible things to his mind.

'You know I can hear you, brat.'

'What do you want, Shukaku?'

'You to stop whining.' The Tanuki was obviously irratated.

'Well, if you didn't have to be so corruptive to me, I wouldn't be complaining, would I now?' Shukaku snarled at him.

'It is my nature, I like to kill, I like to maim, I LIKE to corrupt minds and drive people insane.' Gaara pulled a disgusted face as Shukaku sent him visual images as he spoke. The Tanuki laughed and the images faded.

'If you were a little better about that, your containers would last longer and you wouldn't keep being put in worthless infants, stupid.' Shukaku was getting really annoyed with the sarcastic comments and sent a shockwave of pain through Gaara's head, something he did quite often.

'If I could, I would kill you myself.'

'Leave me alone, I hate you.'

'I assure you, I hate you, too.'

Gaara rubbed his throbbing temples as Shukaku receeded. That animal was so difficult sometimes. Like a small child. He groaned as Shukaku sent another wave of pain shooting through his skull for the remark. Naruto shifted at the noise, then awoke. Looking up at Gaara through bleary, sleep-filled eyes, he asked,

"Wha's a matter, Gaara?" He rubbed at his face and yawned hugely.

"Nothing, Shukaku's being an ass, go back to sleep." Gaara groaned again as Shukaku punished him yet again.

"Don' wanna." He yawned again.

"It's four a.m."

"So?" Gaara shrugged and sighed again.

"Really, What's w-w-r-r-ong?" he asked, yawning through his words.

"Just thinking." Gaara sounded sad now.

"'Bout what?"

"How lonely nighttime is when you're the only one awake."

"Aww...Poor you." Naruto reached over and hugged Gaara. Gaara wrapped his pale arms around Naruto and rested his cheek on top of his head.

"I was just thinking about how depressing it is that I can't sleep, I can't dream, and I never will as long as Shukaku is here in my head. I want to dream at least once in my life before I die, but I know Shukaku won't let that happen." He was almost in tears at the thought.

Naruto tightened the hug and Shukaku growled in the back of Gaara's head. 'Go die, Shukaku.' 'Make me, brat.'

"I'm sowwy, Gaa-chan. If I could help I would." Gaara smiled at the cute talk Naruto was giving him and fluffed his hair.

"I know. It helps that I can watch you sleep. It helps me understand a little better what I'm missing."

Naruto smiled and yawned again. "Maybe I will go back to sleep." Gaara chuckled.

"You should, otherwise I'll never be able to get you up in the morning."

"Hahaha, true. G'night, Gaa-chan."

Gaara kissed him before the Kyuubi drifted off back to dream land. The golden haired boy smiled happily and started snoring quietly again.

"Yeah, good night, Naru-chan."

He ran a hand through Naruto's hair, and Naruto cuddled to him like a happy cat. It was Gaara's turn to smile, and he continued to pet the boy. If Naruto had been able to purr, he would have done so. Unfortunately, Kyuubi was a fox and foxes did not do such things. Especially demon ones.

"I watch you sleep. Because I can't."

He leaned down and whispered into Naruto's ear.

"I love you, have a happy dreamtime." Naruto giggled in his sleep.

"Wuv you too."

999blee999

yay fluff! Review!!


End file.
